1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention pertains to a jig for use in machining blanks. More particularly, this invention pertains to a jig which is designed to hold stylus blanks during lapping in order to produce a keel-tipped stylus, such as the stylus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,162,510, issued to E. O. Keizer on Jul. 24, 1979 and assigned to RCA Corporation.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
In a commonly-owned patent application of Y. Yarnitsky and S. Kaldor entitled "JIG FOR MACHINING STYLUS BLANKS" filed on Jul. 21, 1981 and having Ser. No. 285,620, now Pat. No. 4,433,794 a jig is disclosed which will automatically feed a single stylus blank from a stack of stylus blanks, fix the blank in position during machining, eject a machined stylus, and fix a subsequent stylus blank in position for a subsequent machining operation. That device includes a releasable gripping means which is operated by a solenoid-driven mechanical linkage located outside the housing. The releasable gripping means taught therein is a vice having two jaws, of which a fixed first jaw is formed by a lower housing section and a movable second jaw is formed by a deformable region of an upper housing section.
If that device develops a permanent deformation of the upper housing section, it is necessary to replace the entire upper housing section since the upper housing section is unitary. It would be desirable to provide a device which performs the same functions as that prior art device but which would not require the replacement of an entire housing section if the releasable gripping means malfunctions. Moreover, it would be desirable to provide a device in which both the releasable gripping means and the means for transporting individual blanks from a storage channel in the housing would be operated independently of each other by control means located within the housing.